Methods: A combination of top-down approach and activity-based costing was applied. The standard operating procedure (SOP) for CRC was developed for each stage according to national data and guidelines at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). The unit cost was calculated and incorporated into the treatment pathway in order to obtain the total cost of managing a single CRC patient according to the stage of illness. The cost data were represented by means and standard deviation and the results were demonstrated by tabulation. All cost data are presented in Malaysian Ringgit (RM). The cost difference between early stage (Stage I) and late stage (Stage II-IV) was analysed using independent t-test.
Results: The cost per patient increased with stage of CRC, from RM13,672 (USD4,410.30) for stage I, to RM27,972 (USD9,023.20) for Stage IV. The early stage had statistically significant lower cost compared to late stage t(2) = -4.729, P = 0.042. The highest fraction of the cost was related to surgery for Stage I, but was superseded by oncology day care treatment for Stages II-IV. CRC is a costly illness. From a provider perspective, the highest cost was found in Stages III and IV. The early stages conserved more resources than did the advanced stages of cancer.
Conclusion: Early diagnosis and management of CRC, therefore, not only affects oncologic prognosis, but has implications for health care costs. This adds further justification to develop and implement CRC screening programmes in Malaysia.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 50 patients with late-onset (≥ 32 weeks gestation) PE. Maternal serum was obtained before delivery, and placentas were obtained immediately after delivery. SEMA3B and CUL1 levels were evaluated by ELISA. Results were statistically analysed by Spearman correlation test, with a P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: While elevated serum SEMA3B levels significantly correlated with increased placental SEMA3B levels in late-onset PE (R = 0.620, P = 0.000), alteration of serum CUL1 levels did not correlate with alteration of placental CUL1.
Conclusion: Alteration of circulating maternal SEMA3B, but not CUL1, levels can potentially be used to monitor PE progression during pregnancy.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was used. Totally, 427 samples of dissimilar Thai-Muslim healthy blood donors living in three southern border provinces were selected via simple random sampling (aged 17-65 years old) and donors found to be positive for infectious markers were excluded. All samples were analysed for JK*A and JK*B alleles using PCR-SSP. The Pearson's chi-squared and Fisher exact tests were used to compare the JK frequencies among southern Thai-Muslim with those among other populations previously reported.
Results: A total of 427 donors-315 males and 112 females, with a median age of 29 years (interquartile range: 18 years)-were analysed. A JK*A/JK*B genotype was the most common, and the JK*A and JK*B allele frequencies among the southern Thai-Muslims were 55.2% and 44.8%, respectively. Their frequencies significantly differed from those of the central Thai, Korean, Japanese, Brazilian-Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Africans and American Natives populations (P < 0.05). Predicted JK phenotypes were compared with different groups of Malaysians. The Jk(a+b+) phenotype frequency among southern Thai-Muslims was significantly higher than that of Malaysian Malays and Indians (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: The JK*A and JK*B allele frequencies in a southern Thai-Muslim population were determined, which can be applied not only to solve problems in transfusion medicine but also to provide tools for genetic anthropology and population studies.
Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into eight groups of six rats (n = 6): control, CP only (200 mg kg-1), AM only (100 mg kg-1, 300 mg kg-1 and 500 mg kg-1) and CP + AM (100 mg kg-1, 300 mg kg-1 and 500 mg kg-1). Animals were sacrificed after 63 days of treatment and the sperm from the caudal epididymis was taken for sperm analysis.
Results: The body and the reproductive organs weight, sperm count and motility did not differ between CP and other groups (P > 0.05). A significant increase (P < 0.05) in percentage of the dead and abnormal sperm were seen in the CP alone treated group compared to the control group. Co-administration of AM to the CP exposed rats significantly reduced the (P < 0.05) percentage of abnormal sperm as compared to the CP only group.
Conclusion: Overall, the present results represent the potential of AM to protect against CP induced reproductive toxicity.